Spotlight: Jive Talk

Nashville-based band, Jive Talk, is comprised of 5 guys: Phil, Andrés, Oliver, Isaac, and Ben. What started out as playing around with sounds on Garageband, turned into something magical. They stopped by Acme last week to preview two of their songs, “Wayside” and “Colin” and to talk about making music with our DJ, Hammel. Even in a nearly empty room mid-day at Acme, their presence fills up the space. Watch their live performance here at Acme Feed & Seed on our Live at Acme Videos Page or on the Acme Radio Live Youtube Channel.

Jive Talk is reminiscent of the beloved synth-rock sounds from the ‘80s, namely Talking Heads and a-ha. They offer a modern take on a vintage groove, dreaming up the sound of imaginary collaborations such as David Bowie meets The Weeknd. On this past Sunday night, I had the pleasure of attending their live show at The Basement East to experience their talent in the optimal environment. The room began to fill up during Future Crib, another talented local band, as they opened up the show.

They took the stage in formation around 10:00pm, performing a choreographed dance dressed in colorful, vintage tracksuits, mimicking the style of an 80’s workout routine video. The perfect way to start off the night, with a humorous surprise. The best word to describe Jive Talk is energy. Their vibrant energy is contagious and charming, they fill the room with positive vibrations and laughter. They eased into fan-favorite, “Sue”, and the crowd began to groove along with lead singer, Oliver. His mind and body are completely taken over by the music, flailing himself across the stage, down into a summersault, off the stage into the crowd, and back onto the stage into a body roll. You can’t help but admire the blissful confidence of his expressive movements. They closed out the night with an encore of “This Town”, a song that sounds like it could’ve been the anthem to a classic ‘80s movie, like License to Drive or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Jive Talk is a breath of fresh air for Music City. In a place filled with thousands of local musicians attempting to turn their passion into a career, they stand out amongst the crowd. Spirited, care-free, and lovable, seeing them live is surely a special experience. Make sure to follow their socials linked below to see where you can catch them live next.